Judge Cynthia Ann Bashant, 53, has served on the San Diego Superior Court since 2000

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A San Diego Superior Court Judge has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as a District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Judge Cynthia Ann Bashant, 53, was among President Obama's eight nominees to serve on District Courts across the nation, the White House announced Thursday.

Bashant has served on the San Diego Superior Court since 2000 where she handles both criminal and juvenile matters. Between 2009 and 2012 she was the presiding judge for the juvenile dependency and delinquency courts.

If Bashant is confirmed by the Senate she will fill a judgeship on the District Court for the Southern District left vacant by Judge Irma E. Gonzalez who assumed senior status in March of this year.

The position is one of 13 judgeships and is a lifetime appointment upon good behavior. According to a media release, the current annual salary is $174,000.

Bashant is a San Francisco native who received an A.B. degree from Smith’s College in 1982 and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 1986.

After finishing at Hastings College of the Law, Bashant practiced civil litigation in San Diego until 1989 when she began working as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.

“These men and women have had distinguished legal careers and I am honored to ask them to continue their work as judges on the federal bench,” said President Obama. “They will serve the American people with integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice.”